St John Ambulance has welcomed this week's news that more than $100 million will be included in this year's government Budget to provide double crewing of all emergency ambulance responses, over the next four years.
The Hawke's Bay region will get a share - along with Whanganui and Central South - of 69 more full-time ambulance service roles, out of an increase of 430 frontline jobs nationwide.
The package also introduces a new sustainable funding model to increase St John's baseline funding and to meet growing demand for ambulance services, while addressing historic shortfalls.
"Ending single crewing is one of the most significant developments in our ambulance service history," says St John Ambulance chief executive Peter Bradley.
"We will be able to recruit 430 frontline jobs over four years and provide rural New Zealand with the same crewing levels as urban areas - a move that will save more lives and make it safer for our crews.